1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly in which a first electrical connector disposed on a circuit board is mutually mated with a second electrical connector disposed on another circuit board, with the direction of mating being the direction of diametrical opposition of the circuit boards.
2. Related Art
Well-known electrical connector assemblies of this type include electrical connector assemblies in which a plug connector is mated with a receptacle connector employed as an electrical connector for circuit boards, for example, such as the one described in Patent Document 1. Multiple receptacle terminals are retained in array form on the housing of the receptacle connector and multiple plug terminals are retained in array form on the housing of the plug connector. The respective receptacle terminals and plug terminals are fabricated by bending metal strip-shaped pieces in the sheet thickness direction.
The receptacle terminals have U-shaped receiving portions used for receiving the hereinafter described nesting portions of the plug terminals. Said receiving portions have contact arm portions and lock arm portions arranged parallel to each other in the vertical direction. The contact arm portions, which are formed at the free ends of the receiving portions, are elastically displaceable in the sheet thickness direction, and contact protrusions used for contacting the plug terminals are formed in a convex-curved configuration toward the lock arm portions. On the other hand, the lock arm portions are secured to the housing, and lock protrusions used for locking to the plug terminals are formed to protrude from the major surfaces of said lock arm portions toward the contact arm portions. While the above-mentioned receiving portions are formed to have almost the same width dimensions (dimensions in the terminal array direction) throughout the entire length, the sections positioned in the vicinity of the upper ends (free ends) of the contact arm portions are somewhat narrower in width than other portions.
The plug terminals have U-shaped nesting portions nested into the receiving portions of the receptacle terminals when the connectors are mated. Said nesting portions have corresponding contact arm portions and lockable arm portions arranged parallel to each other and extending in the vertical direction. The corresponding contact arm portions are secured to the housing, and recessed contact portions contacting the contact protrusions of the receptacle terminals are formed sunk into the major surfaces of the above-mentioned corresponding contact arm portions. In addition, the lockable arm portions are secured to the housing, and lockable recessed portions that can engage and lock to the lock protrusions of the receptacle terminals are formed sunk into the major surfaces of the above-mentioned lockable arm portions. The above-mentioned nesting portions are formed to have almost the same width dimensions (dimensions in the terminal array direction) throughout their entire length, and their width dimensions are somewhat larger than the width dimensions of the receiving portions of the receptacle terminals.